Sewing machine whereby stitches forming various patterns can be produced automatically



17, 1961 c. CARON 3,005,137

SEWING MACHINE WHEREIBY STITCHES FORMING VARIOUS PATTERNS CAN BEPRODUCED AUTOMATICALLY Filed April 16, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 17,1961 c. CARON 3,005,137

sawmc MACHINE WHEREBY STITCHES FORMING VARIOUS PATTERNS CAN BE PRODUCEDAUTOMATICALLY Filed April 16, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //V VE N 70 A/farheySEWING MACHINE United StatesPatentOfiice 3,005,137. Patented Oct. 17,1961 The present invention relates to a control device, especially for asewing machine, whereby stitches forming various patterns can beproduced automatically, and wherein at least one of the two eifectiveelementsneedle bar and work feed deviceis subjected to the action ofsaid control device which is intended to locate the exact position atwhich the needle penetrates the work. This control device comprises adigital programme controller furnishing electric signals, a series ofcontact studs to which the said signals are transmitted, a drivingmember which is connected mechanically to the said element -needle baror work feed device-and which displaces it in one and the otherdirection, an exploring member which is displaced at the same time asthe said element opposite the said studs, with eachof which it comesinto contact successively, and, finally, a stopping mechanism operatedelectrically at the instant when the said exploring member is situatedopposite the stud supplied with current by the programme, bringing aboutthe stoppage of the driving member and consequently arresting the drivenelementneedle bar or work feed devicein a position thus determined bythe programme.

One form of embodiment of the subject of the invention, and a modifiedform of embodiment, are illustrated by way of example in theaccompanying drawings.

FIGURE -1 is a diagrammatic general view of part of a sewingrnachine,showing only those parts which are necessary for the understanding ofthe invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a part of the mechanism which providesthe programme.

FIGURES 3 and 4 are plane views of two details. FIGURE 5 is anelevational view of the mechanism providing the programme.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a detail, and,

- FIGURE 7 is a View of a detail of a modified form of embodiment.

The machine illustratedcomprises a needle 1 fixed to a needle-carryingbar 2, which itself is mounted in a cradle 3. The latter is articulatedon a pin 4 belonging to the frame of the machine. The needle could alsobe mounted in a so-called pendulum-type arrangement. An

2 by a programme controller which will be described hereinafter. Theactuator acts or does not act, in accordance with the programme, thusdetermining the direction in which the control member 6 is displaced.Also, the grid of the thyratron 17 is supplied with current by a currentsource 19 through the agency of a ring 20 carried by a shaft 21, thelatter being driven by the motor of the machine by means of a mechanismwhich is not shown in the drawings. The object of this ring is to supplycurrent to the grid of the thyratron 17 at well-definedinstants, in suchmanner that the displacements of the control member 6 are eifectedsynchronously with the other movements of the machine.

The automatic stopping of the control member 6 in one or other of thevarious positions which it is adapted to occupy, is carried out in thefollowing manner:

The said member is connected, by a conductor 22, to the current source19. During the displacements of the said member its exploring arm 6acomes into contact successively with the various studs 10, which areconnected through the intermediary of the device 23 (FIGURES) supplyingthe programme, and which is described hereinafter, to the grid circuitof a thyratron 24 whose output circuit supplies the lockingelectromagnet 15. As soon as the exploring arm 6a comes into contactwith the particular stud 10 which is at that time in communication withthe grid of the thyratron 24, electromagnet 15 is energised and thecontrol member 6 is locked. It should be noted that the feed circuit ofthe electromagnet 15 passes through a ring 25 carried by theshaft 21, sothat I after each stitch the electromagnet 15 is released, thus allowingthe member 6 to move again in order to occupy the desired position forthe following stitch.

The mechanism 23 providing the programme is ar ranged as follows:

A frame is formed of two insulating plates 26 and 27 fixed to a shaft 28which is mounted rotatably in the machine. These two plates carry fivemetallic rods 29a to 292 which are parallel to the rotatable shaft 28and are each situated at a diiferent distance therefrom. These rodsproject slightly from the plate 26 and contact concentric circularcontact tracks 30a to 30e which are connected respectively to the studs10a to 10e (FIGURE 6). The rods 29 carry several series of five contactdiscs 31 which are insulated from one another by intermediate discs 32(FIGURES 3 and 4) and are each formed with holes 33 for the passagetherethrough of the rods. These arm 3a of the cradle is connected by arod 5 to a control member 6 articulated at 7 to'the frame of the machineand rockable about the said point.

The movements of the member 6 are brought about by an electromagnet 8acting in opposite to the action of a restoring spring 9. The member 6comprises an exploring arm 6a which is displaceable opposite a series ofelectrical contact studs 10:: to 10e. Also, the member 6 comprises asector 6b in the edge of which are formed a series of notches 11 withwhich co-operates a finger 12 carried by a two-armedlever 13. This leveris articulated at 14 to the frame of the machine and its movements arecontrolled by an electromagnet 15. When the latter is energised, the pin12 co-operates with one or other of the notches 11 and immobilises thecontrol member 6.

This machine operates in the following manner:

The actuator 8 which brings about the movements of the needle throughthe agency of the control member 6 and the rod 5, is energised by acurrent source 16 through discs each comprise a plurality of externalnoses 31 which extend over a sector covering of a revolution, and areintended to come into contactwith a brush 34. The holes 33, except for ahole designated as 33, are sufliciently large to ensure that the rods 29do not touch them. The hole 33' is of smaller diameter, so that the rod29 which extends through itis in electrical contact with thecorresponding disc 31. Each disc carries a hole 33' corresponding to adifferent rod 29, so that each disc is in electrical contact with one ofthese rods. the rotation of the plates 26 and 27 carrying the rods 29,which rotation is produced step-by-step by a mechanism not shown in thedrawings acting synchronously with the rest of the machine, the noses31' come successively into contact with the brush 34 connected to thegrid of the thyratron 24 by a conductor 25. When one nose 31' comes intocontact with the brush 34, it connects the said grid to thecorresponding stud 10a through the intermediary of one of the rods 29and one of the contact tracks 30. One of the insulating discs 32situated between the disc 31, and designated as 32, is in the form of acam and controls the contact 18 for supplying the actuator. This disc32' thus determines, by the shape of its profile, whether, for thefollowing stitch, the actuator is to be energised or not, that is to sayin which During 3 direction the control member 6 is to be displaced inorder to reach by the shortest path of travel the stud at which it willbe immobilized; this arrangement prevents idle travel of the controlmember and consequently of the needle. It should be noted that the rods29 carry several series of five discs 31 and that the brush 34, and alsothe contact 18, may be displaced in such a manner as to be broughtopposite one or other of these series of discs. Thus the machinecomprises a plurality of programmes incorporated therein, which caneasily be brought into operation or rendered inoperative.

The control device which is illustrated and described may also beapplied to the work fee-d device instead of being connected to theneedle. The work feed device, designated as 36 in FIGURE 7, will beconnected to the control rod in place of the cradle 3 carrying theneedle. It may be advantageous not to drive the work teed devicedirectly but to drive an intermediate selecting member, known in thesewing machine field, for determining the amplitude of the movements ofthe work feed device which are produced by the motor of the machine.

In the example described andillustrated, the number of studs 10 is five.This number could also be higher, eight or sixteen for example.

What 1 claim is:

1. In a control device for controlling the position of a machineelement, especially for controlling the position of the needle bar or ofthe work feed device of a sewing machine, a digital programme controllersupplying electric signals, a series of contact studs to which the saidsignals are transmitted, a driving member which is connectedmechanically to the said controlled element, and which displaces it inone and the other direction, an exploring member operatively connectedto said element, whereby it is displaced at the same time as the saidelement, opposite to said studs, with each of which it comes intocontact successively, and, finally, an electrically controlled mobileabutting member, electrically connected to said exploring member so asto be operated at the instant when the said exploring member comesopposite the stud supplied with current by the programme, thus arrestingthe said controlled element in a position determined by the programme.

2. In a control device for con-trolling the position of a machineelement, especially for controlling the position of the needle bar or ofthe work feed device of a sewing machine, a digital programme controllersupplying electric signals, a series of contact studs to which the saidsignals are transmitted, an electronic valve provided with an outputcircuit and with a grid circuit, said output circuit passing through thesaid programme controller, an electromagnet controlling said element,arranged in the output circuit of said valve, a contact ring drivensynchronously with the machine to which belongs the said element andsupplying with current the grid circuit of said valve, an exploringmember operatively connected to said element, whereby it is displaced atthe same time as the said element, opposite tosaid studs, with each ofwhich it comes into contact successively, and, finally, an electricallycontrolled mobile abutting member, electrically connected to saidexploring member so as to be operated at the instant when the saidexploring member comes opposite the stud supplied with current by theprogramme, thus arresting 4 the said controlled element in a positiondetermined by the programme.

3. In a control device for controlling the position of a machineelement, especially for controlling the position of the needle bar or ofthe Work feed device of a sewing machine, a digital programme controllersupplying electric signals, a series of contact studs to which the saidsignals are transmitted, a driving member which is connectedmechanically to the said controlled element, and which displaces it inone and the other direction, an exploring member operatively connectedto said element, whereby it is displaced at the same time as the saidelement, opposite to said studs, with each of which it comes intocontact successively, and, finally, an electrically controlled mobileabutting member, electrically connected to said exploring member so asto be operated at the instant when the said exploring member comesopposite the stud supplied with current by the programme, thus arrestingthe controlled element in a position determined by the programme, saidstopping mechanism comprising an electronic valve provided with anoutput circuit and with a grid circuit, and an electromagnet supplied bythe output circuit of said valve, said grid circuit passing successivelythrough the programme controller and through the contact studs of theexploring member.

4. In a control device for controlling the position of a machineelement, especially for controlling the position of the needle bar or ofthe work feed device of a sewing machine, a digital programme controllersupplying electric signals, a series of contact studs to which the saidsig nals are transmitted, a driving member which is connectedmechanically to the said controlled element, and which displaces it inone and the other direction, an exploring member operatively connectedto said element, whereby it is displaced at the same time as the saidelement, opposite to said studs, with each of which it comes intocontact successively, and, finally, a stopping mechanism electricallyconnected to said exploring member so as to be operated electrically atthe instant when the said exploring member comes opposite the studsupplied with current by the programme, bringing about the stoppage ofthe driving member and consequently arresting the controlled element ina position thus determined by the programme, said stopping mechanismcomprising an electronic valve provided with an output circuit and witha grid circuit, an electromagnet supplied by the output circuit of saidvalve, and a contact ring driven synchronously with the machine to whichbelongs the said controlled element and through which passes said outputcircuit, the grid circuit of said valve passing successively through theprogramme controller and through the contact studs of the exploringmember, whereby afiter each stitch the stopping mechanism is liberatedand is ready to function anew to lock the exploring member during itsfollowing movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

